July 31, 2010

Today's inspiring Purple Onion Designer is Julie Dudley! I just love this scrapbook page of hers:Talk about gorgeous, rich color!! I think this teal blue may very well be my favorite color! Julie's embellishments bring this page to life. I love her vertical collection of flowers and little butterflies. The yellow flower centers are a wonderful "pop" of color. Finally, it is so refreshing how Julie's page is gorgeously crafted yet the cute photos remain the center of attention.Here is my take. I was especially inspired by the collection of flowers with bright centers and the butterfly embellishements.I used the following POD stamps on my tag:Vintage Butterfly SetDoodle Flower Sentiment Set

July 30, 2010

Thanks everyone for popping by this week to check out Jenny's awesome cards. Remember you can always see more of her work on her BLOG and PHOTOSTREAM. Thanks to you, Jenny, for playing along and allowing me to share your work over in my neck of the woods/blogland! :) Here is our final card by Jenny: Okay, my friends, be careful as you put your socks back on because I know this card of Jenny's knocked them off!! Can it get any more gorgeous than this? I think not! I love the vintage/shabby chic style of Jenny's card. The distressing, pearl, handmade flower, text stamping...all add up to one showstopper! The touch of green and dark butterflies really finish off this card. I'm sure whoever receives this card will be displaying it in their home as a piece of artwork!Here is my take: Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you tomorrow with my next Purple Onion Designs post. :)Stamps: CL342, K5344, CG125

July 29, 2010

You know I can't resist a pretty butterfly card. :) Check out this one from Jenny: I don't know how Jenny does it, but all of her cards are always so happy! This one is no exception. To begin with, Jenny has done a fantastic job with the overall design of this card. The vertical panel with the clouds coordinates perfectly with the vertical sentiment. Jenny's butterfly is so striking. She has given it great dimension- it looks as if it just landed on the card! Finally, the butterfly trail gives this card such a great designer touch!Here is my take:

See you tomorrow for our last card with Jenny!All Stamps Hero Arts: JS173, CL351, CG125

July 28, 2010

First of all, thanks soooo much to all of you who have left me such sweet comments about THIS fantastic news! All of your visits and encouragement always leave me inspired and oh-so-happy. So from the bottom of my heart- thank you!

And now here is a super lovely card by Jenny:

This card is pure elegance. I love Jenny's unique choice to use the woodgrain background with the Hero Arts Dogwood stamp. The colors on Jenny's card really "pop." She has added fabulous dimension to the petals which brings the stamped image to life! Finally, I love the touch of pink distressing around her sentiment. All these details add up to a card that is soooo very gorgeous!

Here is my take:

And while I had out my Copics, I colored and made this little card, too:

July 27, 2010

Here is our next card by Jenny:This card has me smiling! I love the polka dot scene with the bright sunny sky! The torn edge along the "grass" is a great textural element as are the clouds, too! The bike stamp is perfect placed and embellished. Finally, I just love the tree with the cute bow!Here is my take: Thanks again for all of your visits and comments! You guys are the BEST!Stamps: Hero Arts (CG172, CL389), Polka Dots (Martha Stewart)

July 26, 2010

I am sooo thrilled to announce that this week's "Inspired by..." stamper is none other than one of the new Hero Arts Hostesses, Jenny (Weememories on flickr)! Jenny's cards are always so fun and cheery--just like her! Here is a link to her BLOG --I just know you will want to check it out (yes, she even has a fun challenge over there)! Here is Jenny's card for today:Beyond cute; right?! I love the bright colors on the craft background. And Jenny's paper piecing is impeccable! The bright white scallop at the top is a wonderful finishing touch! And speaking of finishing touches-doesn't the vertical sentiment and the gems look wonderful?Here is my take:

Thanks so much for popping by! See you tomorrow with another one of Jenny's FABULOUS cards!Stamps: Stems and Grass (Purple Onion Designs), Hero Arts (CG128)

July 25, 2010

I have an addiction to....Copics! Here are a couple samples using my current favorite color combos and Hero Arts stamps. I made these for my latest class at my LSS. Thought I'd share here, too.

On these next Dogwood samples, I went back with the Colorless Blender to add highlights to the petals.

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos--I don't have a good set up to take pictures of bigger projects? I'm hoping to do a couple scrapbook pages and would love any advice on how to photograph them. Thanks, friends! Hope your weekend is going well! HUGS!

July 24, 2010

Happy weekend! It's Saturday, so that means today our inspiration comes from one of my fellow Purple Onion designers. But before we begin with the cards, I wanted to let everyone know that Purple Onion Designs is celebrating its 7th anniversary! To show her appreciation, Michelle is offering all Purple Onion rubber stamps at 25% off. The sale ends Monday, July 26th, so you have just enough time to hop on over HERE and do a little shopping. :)

Okay, on to our cards. Today's featured designer is....Jennifer Holmes! Check out her fun card:I love this playful shaped card! It is just too cute! The pink felt flower is a fun touch of color which really pops against the pool blue background. And look at that ribbon leaf--so clever!! Finally, Jennifer has paired the perfect font for her sentiment as it suits this great "thanks" card to a "T!"Here is my take:

July 23, 2010

Here is our last inspiration card by Jennifer: Pink, orange, yellow....this card couldn't get any cheerier! The tone on tone stamping in the background is the perfect way to use that great floral stamp. I love the sentiment banner and how it hangs off the edge of the card. Finally, Jennifer's butterfly sparkles and glows!Here is my take:Cards for KidsHere are the last two pictures of children participating in the Cards for Kids card drive. I hope seeing and reading about the children this week has inspired you to send in a cheerful card of your own. And again, details on how to participate can be found HERE. (You can click on each picture of the children to read more about them and their families.)

This is Jennifer's inspiration for my Cards for Kids card. I just LOVE the bright colors and overall layout of this card:And this is my take: THANKS so much to Jennifer for allowing me to share a bit of her work on my blog this week. You are such an inspiration and teacher for so many stampers!! Thanks also to all of you for your visits and comments this week. You are all the BEST! HUGS! See you tomorrow with a couple Purple Onion Designs cards!Card #1: Hero Arts (CL156, CG172), Splatter (All Night Media)Card #2: Elephant (Memory Box), Hero Arts (CG172, CL272, CG139, CL153)

July 22, 2010

Here is our next card by Jennifer: I just adore that rich, bold blue. Jennifer's stamping technique to create the flourish is the perfect example of how her techniques are just as inspiring as the finished product! I love how Jennifer has used only part of the flower- what a creative way to use a stamp. The kraft background lets the beautiful flower and background remain the stars of the show. :) And finally, I love the way the green ribbon becomes the leaves for the flower! My card is also inspired by THIS one by Jennifer.Here is my take:Cards for KidsHere are couple of pictures of the children involved in the card drive. You can click on their picture for more information about the child and their family.

For more information about participating in Cards for Kids, click HERE.This is Jennifer's inspiration for today's Cards for Kids card:And here is my take (starring one of my furbabies, Dafne): Thanks again for popping by! I hope you will visit tomorrow for our last day with Jennifer. HUGS!Card #1: All Stamps Hero Arts (CL342, CG125)Card #2: All Stamps Hero Arts (CG119, CL342, CL394)

July 21, 2010

Hi everyone! Here is our next card by the talented Jennifer: BOLD and BEAUTIFUL; right? I love how Jennifer has colored in her flower with such rich colors. It really "pops" against the neutral ledger background. The leaves are a unique touch, as they are made from the petals of a flower--so innovative! Finally, the details in this card, for example the stitching and pearls, create such a polished and finished look.Here is my take:

Cards for KidsHere are a few more precious pictures of some of the children involved in the Cards for Kids card drive. You can read more about how to partipcate HERE. Remember, you can click on each picture for more information about the child and their family.

Inspired by Jennifer's bold use of color, here is my next card for the Card Drive:

July 20, 2010

Here is our next card by Jennifer: This is such a beauty! The cool colors are so "easy on the eye." The script background adds to the elegant charm. And isn't that die cut shape fabulous?! I love how Jennifer has used it here--part for the sentiment and part for the gorgeous flowers! Finally, the ribbon, pearl and twine round out this stunner!

Here is my take:

Cards for KidsHere are a few more super cute photos of the children involved in Jennifer's Cards for Kids card drive. You can click on their pictures for more information about them and their families. And remember, information on how to participate in the card drive can be found HERE.

July 19, 2010

Hello, my friends! I am ecstatic to announce that this week's "Inspired by..." artist is none other than Jennifer McGuire! Not only is Jennifer's amazing work and awesome techniques a major inspiration for me, but her touching Cards for Kids card drive is inspiring as well! Each day this week I will be sharing one of Jennifer's cards, my take on her card, and a card for the Cards for Kids card drive. I will also be sharing a bit about the families involved in the card drive and info on how to get involved! Shall we begin? :)Here is Jennifer's card for today: To begin with, I just can't get enough of these colors! The warm yellow looks amazing with the soft pool blue. The tone on tone stamping on both panels creates such a soothing look. The touch of white around the yellow panel is a fantastic finishing touch. And speaking of finishing touches- aren't those pearls on the flowers gorgeous??Here is my take:

Cards for KidsJennifer's card drive collects hundreds of cards to send to sick children and their families. Anyone can participate--it's as simple as making a fun card of encouragement and sending it in! It is such an easy way to put a smile on someone's face! For more details on how to participate, visit Jennifer's blog HERE.Here are some pictures of the adorable children in the card drive. (I'll share a few pics each day this week.) For more information about each child, click on their picture:And here is one of my cards that I will be sending in for the card drive:

July 17, 2010

Today's featured POD designer is my good friend, Joy! Check out her lovely creation:

Could that red flower be any prettier!? No WAY! I love everything about this card. First of all, Joy has created a gorgeous background. The lightly stamped text pairs nicely with the deep brown distressing around the edges. The variety of green in the stem of the flower is a charming detail, as is the line/dot border around the center panel. Finally, the tiny red pearls are such a well-thought out accent as they coordinate perfectly with the flower!Here is my take:

Thanks for stopping by! And a big thanks to Joy for allowing me to share your stamping today. To see more of Joy's awesome creations, you can visit her BLOG and PHOTOSTREAM! Hope you all have a beautiful weekend and I will see you on Monday for my next "Inspired by..." stamper. I am SUPER anxious to announce who it is!!! ;)

July 16, 2010

Here is our last beautiful and inspiring card by Els: I just can't get enough of this card! I love the deep rich color of the flowers against the lightly distressed and stamped background. The stitching provides awesome texture and the perfect border. Finally, one of my favorite things about this card is how Els has attached the sentiment and the touch of ribbon in the top right corner.Here is my take:Thanks so much for visitng this week. All of your comments mean the world to me! And extra thanks to Els (aka Be(e)) for allowing me to share your work! Here's one more link to Els' BLOG and PHOTOSTREAM as I'm sure you'll all be stopping by often for more inspiration! See you tomorrow for "Inspired by...Purple Onion Designers!" Who could it be? :)Stamps: Postgram and Ticket (Purple Onion Designs), Flower (Penny Black), Hero Arts (CL320, K5344)